The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-10-07
A JAPANESE EXECUTION.
The Punishment Of DecapltstioE as Witnessed BY
an English writer
GA1,.E ts,.,..,,ya M..,n. .;,..

The Punishment Of DecapltstioE as Witnessed BY
an English writer
Gentlemen's Magazine.
as each man stepped from the pain
on to the plateau his eyestwere firmly
bandaged with white paper, the only
act of mercy saw vouchsafed that
morning. Finally they were ranged in
line, the two cripples huddled on the
ground, their poor heads as they
drooped from shoulder to shoulder be-
ing roughly buffeeted to q proper an
gle by the policeman in charge. This
accomplished, amid q silence so abso-
lutte that we could almost hear our
hearts beat, the great man on the
camp-stool rose, and unfolding large
document read in loud voice what
we supposed to be a description OF the
crimes for which the poor fellows were
to suffer and the process of condem-
nation and sentence. This was a very
long business, and before it had near
ly finished the native spectators were
laughing and joking upon the appear
ance of the doomed men, with
that callousness to human suffering
which SO much blackens the otherwise
amiable and pleasing character of the
Japanese people. At last it was finish
ed. AS there were but five holes for
seven prisoners, two would be obliged
to remain in blind agony, while their
companions were being dispatched.
Five men were accordingly thrust for
ward with staves and fists Of the po.
lice; each man was made to squat on
a mound, his clothes--if filthy, latter
ed rags could be called clothes-strip-
ped from his shoulders, his hands tied
behind his back, and his head pushed
forward over the hole. Our feelings at
this awful moment can better be Inn
agined than described, but think we
felt quite as much pity for the two
poor wretches left alone to listen to
what was going on without that arti-
fetal aid to fortitude which the sight
of crowd sometimes gives, as for
heircompanionso on their death seats.
Undoubtedly execution by the trench
ant Japanese sword is as mer-
ciful death as can be desired; but
the Oriental nature. as If to compen-
safe for this erring on this side Of mer.
cy, counterbalances it by undue pro.
longation of the preparations for
| death, which is worse than a hundred
deaths. So in this case. AS the poor
fellows knelt over their holes the exc
cutioner slowly and deliberately took
of his coat and barred his arms. Then
he took from it's silk casing the fatal
sword, examined it fondly and linger.
ingly from the Yasuri me, or filings on
the hilt to keep the grasp from slip.
ping, along the Kirimon, or groove in
the blade, to the point, held it over a
pail while q coolie trickled water
down it, and with great deal OF set
tling of his feet was ready. | Eelt sick
and giddy, but kept my eyes fixed on
the scene. At q sign from the official
| on the camp stool, the .executioneE
raised his sword slightly, hardly hall
dozen inches, and almost before !.
could realize it the mans head was
hanging over the hole by a single liga-
! mant. and the blood was gushingfort
in torrents. then saw why thee execu-
tioner had not completely severed the
head; and the wonderful skill Of tha
Japanese swordsmen, using as they
do the most perfect weapons IN the
world, can be imagined in so arrang
ing the the force of the blow that alb
solute decapitation does not take
| place. He tore the head of and held
It toward the four sides of the square;
then he gave it to coolie, who roughly
plastered the severed portion with
clay and struck it on a kind of elevat
ed shelf. In the emeanwhiletwo coolies
were humping on the back oi thepros.
trate body to hasten the rush oil
blood, after which one of the coarse
mats was thrown over it and it was
| laid aside. / had seen enough, and !
turned my head away as the execu
tioner, alter wiping his blade with
paper, approached the second poor
wretch, who was shouting out some.
thing at the top of his voice, whether
q confession or denunciation Of in
justice / was not scholar enough to
understand.